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"DO OR DIE-THESE COMMANDMENTS CAN SAVE YOUR JOB!"

Dear Kathryn:

You'd think at the ripe old age of thirty-four I'd have conquered my problem of staying focused on the job.

My reviews state that I'm very capable and technically excellent, but keeping up with my work and staying focused is a challenge, given the dozens of interruptions I have all day. My review is coming up in December and I want to slap myself into high gear before I'm issued a probation notice and possibly a termination slip. I'm about to get fired for the second time in three years. While my bosses have identified my problem as being consistently behind in my work, they haven't offered any suggestions on how I can stay on top of it. I seem to be overloaded however; others in similar positions seem to get their work done.

I feel as though I'm sinking and have no life raft! Throw me a line, please!

RHONDA T., Waterbury, CT

Dear Rhonda:

You have a problem that is not at all uncommon. It is, however, one that is not frequently talked about and resolved by department managers. You'll have to take the lead here and better understand your own work style, motivators and distractions.

-For example, some folks are terrific in the morning and fabulous between the hours of from 7am to 10am. Not having co-workers and phones ringing are mental interruptions that for detail oriented work can be killers. Understand what works for you and manage your workload accordingly, doing the work requiring the most focus first. This is your job, and if you want to keep it, the ability to analyze and then go into action is critical.

-If you know returning emails and phone calls are intrusions that take a lot of time plus tend to linger in your mind even after completing, take care of them and then take a five minute break to clear your head. -Try to keep personal conversations limited to breaks. Having a debate with your mate will linger in your mind and cause you to ruminate about personal life issues that are distractions.

-Shortcut! Everything does not need to be perfect. Determine what needs the third read or review and what doesn't. Don't forget to delegate,. Doing the same task twice takes twice the time.

-If you have a staff, delegate sorting through mail, memos and other time-consuming things to your staff. Spend your time only with the materials that require your expertise and talent.

Even though painful, ask your staff to spend a few weekend hours with you as you train them on how to handle the more minute stuff you'll be sending their way.

-Hunt, hunt, hunt! Many times we waste valuable time reinventing what we already wrote, read, and analyzed all because we lost our original notes. Disorganization and lack of systems causes us to waste time searching for material we should have been able to put our fingers on instantly. Spend your own time creating some filing and tickler systems that will enable you to quickly find needed materials.

Dear Kathryn:

I am re-entering the job market after an eighteen month absence and am shocked by employers' unsupportive attitude.

Only two years ago when I left my job to have a child, my old employer was supporting flex hours, understanding mothers' needs and accommodating day care hours. Of the last thirteen interviews I've had, employers have point blank stated the full forty hour work week schedule with zero flexibility. They grilled me as to whether I had any obligations that would interfere with their work day. Naturally, I said yes and stated I'd be flexible to accommodate the missed hour here or there due to kids commitments by working from home. That was met with a "we'll let you know if there's further interest." No word from any of my interviews!

I can't lie about my family obligations.

There seems to have been a sea change amongst employers. They do not understand the much needed work/life balance parents require, especially in today's unstable world. How do I get a job with their bad attitude and my family's needs?

KATHRYN R., Essex, CT

Dear Kathryn:

Many employers are still quite accomodating, but when competion is keen and economic realities intrude, things change. Companies are scrutinizing budgets and expenses even more closely. Employers are taking a bottom-line attitude about getting the most from their employees and are not focusing as much on employees needs. (Without a bottom line there can be no company and hence, no job.) Many people find this as a surprising move by employers, as the number one reason why women change jobs is family obligations, according to several surveys. Everyone knows turnover is extremely costly. Forward thinking operations keep this in mind and try to offer the best packages they can afford.

Now, to your specific dilemma, think like an employer would.

If you, as the boss, have a choice between the candidates with no encumbrances, vs. the candidates with the need to leave at 4 pm with zero availability for last minute overtime, which candidates would you choose given equal skill levels? Employers also report that they are more likely to accommodate a person already working for them than someone new. You need to focus your job search by first identifying those employers that still have family-friendly policies in place. Why invest time interviewing with those dead-set against a flexible schedule?

Next, even if it's only for the next six months, you need to have a support system in place that would allow you to get your foot in the door of a company that may start you out in a normal work schedule. Invest creative thinking time in developing support from friends, church, and other mothers. As employers have reported, they're many times more flexible with those already on board.

Talk to other working mothers at every occasion and engage them in conversation as to where they work and the accommodations or lack thereof their own employers have made. Word of mouth experiences from working mom's will give you the most accurate info as to which employers are flexible. The goal is to prove your trust worthiness and productivity to the employer, and you can't initially do that if you're not there for them to see. Once they have confidence in your own work ethics and consistency in producing, they'll be more willing to allow for at-home work. Good luck.